They finally found a long bench in a quieter corner of the observatory and sat side by side. There, under the dim light of city lamps penetrating the glass, they began opening up to each other, increasing their mutual understanding through conversations about daily life.
"So, Naoki-kun's mother was once a member of the Anti-Demon Corps?" Tenka was slightly surprised. Most women who chose careers in the Anti-Demon Corps tended to remain single for life because their standards for men were too high. "Which Unit was your mother in?"
"Ninth Unit."
"The current Ninth Unit Commander is Fubuki-san. She might know your mother, or at least have heard her name."
"Maybe. But to be honest, my relationship with my mother wasn't that close. You must understand, Tenka. Working in the Anti-Demon Corps means rarely coming home, always having to be on standby in Mato. I was mostly raised by my father. To me, she was more like a stranger who sent money than a mother."
Hearing about Naoki's childhood lacking affection from a mother figure, Tenka's heart was touched. Her expression softened, looking at him with a loving gaze, then making a very bold and surprising decision.
"In that case, after I get pregnant later, I'll resign from the Anti-Demon Corps. I'll focus entirely on being a housewife, raising our children."
In her original marriage life plan, Tenka imagined herself as the breadwinner, while her husband would be a stay-at-home dad handling all domestic affairs.
But the situation had changed. The man of her choice turned out to be special. Naoki had obtained a Peach blessing, which meant his potential and abilities far exceeded ordinary men. The matter of earning a living and protecting the family could be left to him, while Tenka could choose to focus on other things.
"..."
Naoki was speechless. The future plans Tenka revealed were so far ahead, so certain, as if their journey from the first date jumped directly to marriage and then becoming parents.
(Normally, in romantic relationships, there's no guarantee of reaching the marriage stage, right? Let alone having children. But look at Tenka... she seems to already be imagining us with a complete family.)
Even so, he didn't feel disturbed or pressured by Tenka's forward-thinking approach.
Tenka then played with the ends of her blonde hair, her voice lowering so as not to leak to strangers' ears around them.
"By the way, I'm curious, what kind of personality is reflected in you that you could awaken a Peach blessing as powerful as «Pandemonium»? An ability that even potentially rivals Commander Yamashiro's «Vairocana»." Her green eyes looked at him meaningfully. "Ne~ Naoki-kun, you must already have an idea, right? What do you think?"
When Peaches were eaten by women, they would grant unique powers that varied greatly, highly dependent on the user's personality, deepest desires, and emotional background. No two Peach blessings were truly identical, though some had similar themes.
"Yeah, I've thought about it." Naoki admitted in a low voice. "Peaches are similar to Mangekyo Sharingan. They awaken abilities based on the deepest reflection of the person's own soul."
"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Tenka asked, confused.
"Don't think too much about it. It's just an eye technique from an old anime." Naoki explained with a shake of his head.
"Hum~ so Naoki-kun likes anime, huh? I learned something new about you tonight." Tenka's impression didn't change in the slightest; she had no negative stereotypes about otaku. For her, it was just part of her partner's interests.
Naoki then looked far out the window, at the endless glittering lights of Tokyo. With an honest tone, he began describing the personality and emotional waves he felt triggered the awakening of «Pandemonium».
"This world dictates that men are second-class citizens who can't possess power. I have pent-up anger toward this system, Tenka."
"Before the Mato dimension existed, women, especially feminists, kept screaming about demanding gender equality. But look now. After they obtained superpowers from Peaches, which made them physically and socially superior to men, what did they do? They instead implemented a caste system that's even more demeaning, oppressive, and limiting to men. That's... hypocritical."
Tenka could feel the pent-up anger in Naoki's tone. Without saying anything, she reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers tightly, providing silent support. She didn't argue, didn't defend the system, didn't deny. She just listened attentively.
That action worked. Naoki took a deep breath, then smiled slightly at her, a silent apology for his emotional outburst. Then, in a calmer tone, he continued speaking:
"In Kabbalistic theology, Qliphoth are residues, remnants, or shells of discarded creation, the darkness left behind. I feel like I'm a residue discarded by this world. «Pandemonium» emerged as if to give me the ability to swallow back the world that has discarded me."
Naoki looked at his hand intertwined with Tenka's.
"I feel that one power alone will never be enough to change the world. «Pandemonium» reflects the emptiness in my soul, the feeling that I must continuously fill myself with the essence of others to feel complete. Those ten slots are manifestations of my emotional hunger that feels limitless."
He raised his gaze, looking into Tenka's eyes.
"Essentially, «Pandemonium» is the embodiment of my rebellion against predetermined fate. An inner scream that I refuse to just be an 'ordinary man' in this world."
If other women heard all these confessions, they might label Naoki as dangerous, delusional, a rebel still tied to the old era when the world was ruled by men, and consider him a threat to the new order.
But Tenka was different.
She didn't judge.
She didn't oppose.
Her green eyes just looked at Naoki with increasingly deep intensity, with increasingly clear understanding.
In her heart, that feeling grew stronger: Naoki wasn't just special because of his power. He was special because of his soul, because of his refusal to submit, because of his honesty. And for Tenka, that appeared thousands of times more masculine than any submissive man she had ever encountered.
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